The poll also found that more than 75% of parents say that the government is not doing enough to address the key problems that modern families face. This telephone survey was of about 1,000 parents of children under 12 found that “What Keeps Parents Up at Night” is a variety of issues, including affordable health care, lack of positive role models in the government and the media’s influence on children.

Netroots and grassroots activists organized by the Courage Campaign are urging passage of a resolution censuring Feinstein for her pivotal votes for Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General and Leslie Southwick as a federal judge. A version of the censure resolution, included below the jump, will be submitted for the consideration of the California Democratic Party Executive Board at its meeting November 16-18 in Anaheim.

In an email to over 500,000 members in California, MoveOn.org Wes Boyd of Berkeley said:

“Only 29% of Californians — and just 9% of California Democrats — approve of the president, but Senator Feinstein has sided with him on key issues.”

“When Senator Feinstein sides with President Bush and the Republicans on key issues like these, she not only goes against what a majority of her constituents want–she gives cover to other Democrats too, making it harder for Congress to make progress on the critical issues that so many voters care about.”

“Senator Feinstein isn’t up for election again until 2012, but we can’t afford another 5 years of this. She needs to hear from Californians that she needs to start siding with them–not George Bush.”

“A censure from the California Democratic Party is the strongest way to send that message.”

McNerney still pushing PTSD clinic for Livermore: Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, wrote a letter today to Gordon Mansfield, the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs, citing a newly released study about the incidence of mental distress in Iraq veterans and touting the Livermore VA Medical Center as the ideal setting to treat post traumatic stress disorder. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, finds Iraq veterans with substantially greater percentages of mental distress several months after returning from deployment than immediately upon returning home; it also finds greater levels of mental distress among National Guard members and Army Reservists than among active duty soldiers. McNerney had been pushing former VA Secretary James Nicholson to put a PTSD treatment center at Livermore — a facility in danger of being shut down entirely — right up until the day Nicholson quit.

As many of you know, today the House is set to bring up H.R. 4156, the Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act. While this bill is not perfect, it is the strongest Iraq bill to date, and there’s no way that we would’ve reached this point if it wasn’t for the work of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), and all of you. The work that you all have done, and the leadership that PDA has shown in delivering tens of thousands of signatures as part of its Peace Pledge have helped move the ball forward.

We know that most of you are disappointed that the end date of having our troops out by December 2008 included in the bill is a goal and not a requirement. So are we.

But let’s be clear about what this bill accomplishes–this is the first time that this Congress has put forth a bill that ties funding to the responsible redeployment of our troops, and it also includes language mandating a start date for the President to begin the redeployment of our brave men and women. The bill also incorporates the principles put forth in H.R. 508, and provides for a regional stability plan which includes diplomatic, political, and economic strategies.

And most importantly, this is a concrete step in the right direction, and an important marker for this Congress to lay down.

Concord is abuzz today over rumors that ex-city manager Ed James will temporarily occupy the top management spot after the departure of city manager Lydia Du Borg later this month. Check out this post on www.claycord.com.

The City Council is not confirming or denying James’ return, says our Concord reporter Tanya Rose who put in a round of calls.

But if it’s true, it’s a good idea. A city the size of Concord needs someone at the helm and a familiar face will help ease tensions and keep the city off the rocks while the city searches for a new manager.

Du Borg resigned after the City Council delivered her performance review in closed session earlier this month. There had been talk for months that Du Borg and some members of the council were clashing on management style and policies. But since the announcement of resignation, the members of the City Council have offered little in the way of a plausible explanation for her departure other than a few weak platitudes.

The silence is not sitting too well with residents who have a lot of questions about the turnover at City Hall. In the past few months, the city has lost or will lose its top manager, deputy city manager, human resources director and two people working on the planning for the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Endorsements don’t often get my attention; they’re usually predictable and ubiquitous.

But here’s one that popped into my e-mail box this morning that may interest you: Ex-GOP presidential nominee and former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole will serve as the honorary campaign chairman for Republican Assembly District 15 candidate Judy Biviano Lloyd.

Whether or not this means Dole will actually set foot in District 15, which stretches from Walnut Creek to Livermore, is an open question that may or may not matter given Dole’s stature as a conservative statesman. (Click here to see a map of the district.)

Lloyd has come under some criticism for relying too heavily on endorsements of people who don’t live in the district. She also doesn’t live in the district yet, although she has put her Pleasanton house on the market and plans to move.

On the other hand, Lloyd is in a fierce, five-way race for the GOP nomination in June 2008 and clearly intends to use every political arrow in her quiver to distinguish herself from her male challengers: Scott Kamena, Robert Rao, San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson and Joe Rubay. And Lloyd’s ammunition now includes Dole, the man she worked for as a special assistant when he was the U.S. Senate Majority Leader.